8392 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Vo2 Max, Body Armor, Deep Sea
20 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 9: OCCUPATOINAL PHYSIOLOGY – thermal physiology
What is occupational physiology?
- Asking people to work in hostile environments
- Work risks can be defined as
oPhysical environment
Heat
Firefighters, iron workers, miners, outdoor workers
Cold
Ski patrols, mining, oil rigs, arctic climates
Altitude
Deep sea diving, high altitude mountain rescue, military operations,
rescue helicopter operations, fighter pilots
The final frontier aka space
Defined by extreme cold, lack of mobility, lack of gravity, physical
strain during take-off/landing, isolation
oWork tasking environment
Load carriage
Tactical operators – military, police, firefighters
oHave to wear body armor when on duty
Heavy, hot
oCarry weapons, supplies
Protective clothing
Body armor, encapsulation, heat/cold clothing, chemical/HAZMAT
protection
Mask; takes 30% off of VO2 max for firefighters
Tool handling
Car cutters
Mental stress
PTSD
Operational tempo
Speed of work needed
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Environmental exposures
- Thermoregulation
oHuman core temp between 35-41degrees Celsius
Below 35 = hypothermia
Above 41 = hyperthermia
oCan regulate through
oBehavioral
pacing, seek shade, drink, change clothes
oPhysiological
Only use 320% of ability; 80% lost through heat
Body heat distribution – redistribute blood from core to the skin;
vasodilation
Sweating – evaporation of water from wet skin
Shivering – muscle activate to produce metabolic heat
- Heat illness
oHeat exhaustion
A mild to moderate illness characterized by inability to maintain cardiac
output with body temperatures generally between 38 and 40 degrees
oHeat injury
Mod to severe illness with organ (liver, renal, and tissue) injury with body
temps above 40 degrees
oHeat stroke
Severe illness with profound CNS and tissue injury with high body
temperatures
- Thermoregulation
oHeat balance
When heat production excess heat loss = inc heat storage
When heat production is less that heat loss = dec heat storage
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Work risks can be defined as: physical environment. Deep sea diving, high altitude mountain rescue, military operations, rescue helicopter operations, fighter pilots. Defined by extreme cold, lack of mobility, lack of gravity, physical strain during take-off/landing, isolation: work tasking environment. Tactical operators military, police, firefighters: have to wear body armor when on duty. Mask; takes 30% off of vo2 max for firefighters. Thermoregulation: human core temp between 35-41degrees celsius. Above 41 = hyperthermia: can regulate through, behavioral pacing, seek shade, drink, change clothes, physiological. Only use 320% of ability; 80% lost through heat. Body heat distribution redistribute blood from core to the skin; vasodilation. Sweating evaporation of water from wet skin. Shivering muscle activate to produce metabolic heat. A mild to moderate illness characterized by inability to maintain cardiac output with body temperatures generally between 38 and 40 degrees: heat injury. Mod to severe illness with organ (liver, renal, and tissue) injury with body temps above 40 degrees: heat stroke.
